Program Overview
Development of extractive metallurgy processes that reduce carbon and other emissions to isolate metallic products from Minnesota minerals.
Recent Research
- Minnesota Green Iron Initiative is being formed by NRRI and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory as part of the approach to national industrial decarbonization efforts by the US Department of Energy. The partnership is working to define options to tie green energy generation to green hydrogen and green iron production.
- Minnesota iron resources under evaluation for use in large-scale energy storage batteries with industry partner Form Energy, via appropriation from the Minnesota legislature.
- Federal US Department of Energy Funding awards grow to meet research demand.
- Industrial Efficiency & Decarbonization Office (IEDO) awarded $4.5M to develop a carbon-neutral engineered biocarbon to replace fossil coal in the steelmaking process, in collaboration with an industry partner.
- Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) awarded $1.6M for two projects to reduce iron using hydrogen, ammonia and hydrogen-plasma in collaboration with UMN-TC and Tufts University.
Featured Research Projects
Related News
Presence at SME Minnesota highlights innovations focused on the future
Crushing and grinding expertise to unlock mineral value brings researcher back to NRRI
NRRI is building a first-of-its-kind research furnace to simulate commercial metallic iron production for experimentation
Federally funded research is bringing biomass to steelmaking to reduce the use of fossil coal, lower carbon emissions.
State identified as hub for low-emission, economically feasible steel production, securing federal funding to accelerate industry transformation.
US DOE grants will address a variety of technologies aimed at efficiencies for Minnesota’s iron ore industry
NRRI tests taconite byproduct as a safe and readily available high friction road aggregate.
Pilot-scale, vertical mill from Switzerland is ‘game-changer’ for industry decarbonization efforts.
NRRI's minerals and metallurgy program in Coleraine, Minn., attracts global talent.
NRRI Coleraine has unique niche for small batch testing of alternative binders for iron of the future.
Media Coverage
- – Green shoots of hope – Star Tribune
- – Biocarbon Meets Steel Production – Biomass Magazine
- – Northern Minnesota green iron plant to be studied – Mesabi Tribune
- – Grant to test feasibility of green iron plant on the Range – Timberjay
- – Another milestone for a pioneering green iron plant for the region – WDIO
- – Federal funding for ‘green’ iron manufacturing study could be caught up in politics – Star Tribune
- – Natural Resources Research Institute lands $1.3M for 'green iron' research – Duluth News Tribune
- – Featured Taconite tailings show promise as high friction surface treatment – Mesabi Tribune